Is tipping compulsory or depending on customer?

[Harmonia 211]

Yes, you should always tip. You were wrong to not tip.

I can't remember ever NOT tipping. If its bad service, tip 10%. 15% is typical and 20% is good in every state I've lived in.

Was she wrong for chasing you down? Yes. That's kind of crazy. However, you didn't tip her before she chased you down. You didn't know she would be crazy. Its not like her crazy behavior factored into you not tipping.

When I was a kid, my mom would say "if you can't afford to pay the tip, you can't afford to eat out". Its a cost of eating out. I've never worked in food service, but I understand they make less than minimum wage.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Harmonia

[Boiler 45,514]

Yes, you should always tip. You were wrong to not tip.

I can't remember ever NOT tipping. If its bad service, tip 10%. 15% is typical and 20% is good in every state I've lived in.

Was she wrong for chasing you down? Yes. That's kind of crazy. However, you didn't tip her before she chased you down. You didn't know she would be crazy. Its not like her crazy behavior factored into you not tipping.

When I was a kid, my mom would say "if you can't afford to pay the tip, you can't afford to eat out". Its a cost of eating out. I've never worked in food service, but I understand they make less than minimum wage.

If a waitress did that to me their would have been a hell of a scene. And Yelp would have been broken.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Yes, you should always tip. You were wrong to not tip.

I can't remember ever NOT tipping. If its bad service, tip 10%. 15% is typical and 20% is good in every state I've lived in.

Was she wrong for chasing you down? Yes. That's kind of crazy. However, you didn't tip her before she chased you down. You didn't know she would be crazy. Its not like her crazy behavior factored into you not tipping.

When I was a kid, my mom would say "if you can't afford to pay the tip, you can't afford to eat out". Its a cost of eating out. I've never worked in food service, but I understand they make less than minimum wage.

Completely and utterly disagree even as a former server. Provide bad service, no tip Edited March 31, 2016 by Transborderwife

[rutabaga 209]

Same here -- if you can't make an effort then I'm sorry, but I won't tip (and I'm really not that hard to please and the $0 tip has been rare), you don't even need to smile, but you also shouldn't take the tip for granted. I used to work as a TA at a university, not nearly the same of course, but I knew to check my bad mood at the door when I walked into a classroom and I fully expect my server to do the same so I've been known to tip $0 for exceptionally bad service. On the other hand, I really do appreciate a server/waiter who treats me right and have regularly tipped well over 30% for exceptional service, especially at places where I've been a regular.

[Harmonia 211]

You mentioned you had to go to the server to pay. I notice you're in Georgia. I'm from the Northeast, but I lived in the South for 5 years, where it was very common to have to pay at the front. I remember I thought servers were rude because they didn't come to get the check at the table until friends pointed out its not expected. You have to go find the server and pay, usually at the front where you check in and there's a register.

I still say that unless the service was horrid BEFORE she went crazy, then you were in the wrong to not tip. Her behavior AFTER is wrong, and I definitely would call the manager. But I don't see your not tipping as related to her crazy, bizarre behavior of chasing you down. That's something I've never experienced in my entire life.

[Ebunoluwa 6,136]

If a waitress did that to me their would have been a hell of a scene. And Yelp would have been broken.

[Ischnura 285]

noun, plural gratuities.

1.

a gift of money, over and above payment due for service, as to awaiter or bellhop; tip.

2.

something given without claim or demand.

What kind of encouragement to do your job well do you need if tips are how you make your living and good service is generally how you get your tips? I completely disagree that anybody should feel obligated to tip for service. There are restaurants that actually add a tip to the bill and it's written in small print on the bottom of your bill.

There are some smaller restaurants like I-Hop that we've had to go to the check out to pay and I think we've been to a Texas Roadhouse or two where you've been given your bill and been asked to go up front when you're ready to pay. I don't suppose everywhere is the same.

I hope you've reported this incident to the restaurant manager. Surely they would only want the most courteous people working at their establishment. If not then probably best to eat elsewhere.

[Cathi 5,748]

having no cash is no excuse for not tipping, you could have added it on to your card, if there was no space on the receipt for a tip, all you needed to do was speak up and say you wanted to tip. What if the service was great and there was a space for a tip? Would you have used having no cash as an excuse and screwed her over in that case, too? She was wrong for chasing you down, but had you tipped her(even a little) there wouldn't have been a scene. If the service was lousy, then a small tip would have been in order. In many diners it is common to have to pay at the front. I am still not sure why you thought it was OK to not tip at all. Tips are what servers in this country live on, and I am sure you didn't need to come here to find that out.

Not sure what hair salons has to do with this, but YES it is compulsory to tip there as well, unless the owner of the salon is the person who did your hair. Owners should not get nor accept tips. Hairstylists do not get an hourly wage, they work on commission and do not get an hourly wage in most salons.

Edited March 31, 2016 by mimolicious

[Roy&Chanel 109]

I did not report her, not going to yelp cos I really don't want her to lose the job.

Initially my husband told me maybe she really really desperate and needs the tip.

But I feel that its so wrong to chase all the way to the carpark and demanding for tips, giving us a look and even waited there until I showed her proof that I did not have US dollars. I even offered Sing dollars, I said "I have Sing Dollars if its fine" and she gave me that look.

We went to that restaurant almost every week, and we tip all the time, we will usually put cash money on the table. Usually at that restaurant, the waitress would go to us but yesterday, it was empty, we were the only customers. She and other coworkers were at the cashier area sitting, chatting and plucking bean sprouts.

Mimolicious: like what i have said previously, the receipt does not have the option to include tip. We usually placed cash on the table. And I ALWAYS TIP. Its just this one time that we happened to run out of cash and used card, and met such incident. I did not say that it was OK not to tip, what I am trying to ask if it is a MUST COMPULSORY to tip because she acted like she was extorting. Remember I said she reached out her hand. Its something that even my husband has never experienced in his whole life in US.

Im going to visit that resto again and TIP her and said we REALLY DID NOT HAVE CASH PREVIOUSLY.

As for hair salon, Im about to go visit hair salon soon next week, just want to know also whether I should tip the hair dresser

Edited March 31, 2016 by Roy&Chanel

[Roy&Chanel 109]

You mentioned you had to go to the server to pay. I notice you're in Georgia. I'm from the Northeast, but I lived in the South for 5 years, where it was very common to have to pay at the front. I remember I thought servers were rude because they didn't come to get the check at the table until friends pointed out its not expected. You have to go find the server and pay, usually at the front where you check in and there's a register.

I still say that unless the service was horrid BEFORE she went crazy, then you were in the wrong to not tip. Her behavior AFTER is wrong, and I definitely would call the manager. But I don't see your not tipping as related to her crazy, bizarre behavior of chasing you down. That's something I've never experienced in my entire life.

Hey Harmonia: Yeap u are right, we do walk to front to pay at some restaurants, but this restaurant, we visit them every week, usually we ask for the bill but this time, we tried and no one attend to us, so we walked over.

[NikLR 13,227]

I generally tip my hair stylist, waxer, pedicure/manicurist etc. There was one waxing place I went to that specifically said you were not allowed to tip though.

It's not required but generally a good idea and is based on service imho. If you ever want to tip but dont have cash you can tell the cashier you want to add a tip and they add it on vs having a tip location on the bill. Anyhow, not tipping was no reason for that waitress to act crazy. Following you to your car is crazy.

[RandR333 9]

I worked over 20 years as a tipped service industry worker. I depended on tips, but knew some people tip, some people tip poorly, and some don't tip. After awhile you can just about guess the tip as soon as you meet the guest, but that doesn't mean the service should suffer. For example, Canadians, Europeans all tip very poorly for US standards, but they are usually very nice people who are on vacation and don't know what to tip. Anyways, I made a good living or I wouldn't have done it for 20 years. You learn to take the good with the bad. One person or table not tipping is not going to ruin your day, if it does, you need new employment.

In this case, I feel you were both wrong. If you knew you didn't have money for her before you left, you should have told her, got her name and came back to leave her a tip. However, the server is mostly in the wrong and should be reported to management. I've seen restaurants ruined by servers like this. They have an us against them attitude, instead being grateful the guest has visited the establishment. Report her, but explain you don't want her to lose her job. Also, I wouldn't eat in that restaurant again. You'd be surprised what happens to your food on your way to the table.

Edited March 31, 2016 by Robert and Ramona

[soulstriker 274]

tipping isnt required in this country and never allow a person to go that far without reporting to a higher up or manager , that is plain ridiculous , i worked in the fast food before as part time delivery not once did i freak out if i didnt get tipped lol if i did i just said thanks and kept moving , entitled smh

[Ortolan 381]

To have her chase after you and berate you for NOT leaving a tip says to me that she's a terrible server. A real professional would've left it at that...and probably have remembered you next time and either given you crummy service the next time you visited or (if she was a real pro) have given you great service.

You're never required to leave a tip, unless there are 10 or more people in your party; then it's usually added to the bill. The few times I've left nothing have been because the service was horrible, or the wait was inordinately long, or some other problem that was a direct result of the waitress/waiter's actions.

Tips are about service. If it's mediocre, leave a mediocre tip (10%). If it's great, let your server know by leaving a good tip. (18-20%)

[GabbyBird 53]

I'd also consider that you're just perpetuating the stereotype that foreigners don't tip which also causes in-fighting between servers not wanting to server people who look different.

I hate tipping as much as the next person, but it's a cultural norm that you did not follow.

That server was a Royal "B" though. If someone confronted me in a parking lot i'd have berated them and then let the manager have an ear full.